The Russian Volleyball Championship 2025/26 starts on October 18 with 16 teams participating.
The regular season will be played on a "round-robin" system in two rounds, with each team playing 30 matches at home and away.
The campaign will last until March 14, after which the playoffs begin.
The first four teams qualify directly for the quarterfinals.
Teams from 5th to 12th place will play an additional two-match qualification round with a possible "golden set".
The final will be played to three wins and is scheduled between April 21 and 29, 2026.
After the end of the season, the traditional "Final Six" for the Russian Cup will also be held (May 12 17).
The Bulgarian Staff of Lokomotiv Novosibirsk
The only club in the Superleague with a Bulgarian presence is Lokomotiv Novosibirsk led by former Bulgaria national team coach Plamen Konstantinov, with assistant coach Andrey Zhekov (also an assistant coach in the current national team) and setter Simeon Nikolov, part of the vice-world champions from the World Championship in the Philippines this autumn.
The presence of this Bulgarian triumvirate makes Lokomotiv one of the most interesting teams to watch this new season.
Lokomotiv Novosibirsk Schedule (first 10 rounds)
| Round | Date | Opponent | Home/Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 18 | Kuzbass | away |
| 2 | October 22 | Dynamo-Ural | host |
| 3 | October 26 | MGTU | host |
| 4 | November 1 | Gazprom-Yugra | host |
| 5 | November 7 | Dynamo-LO | away |
| 6 | November 12 | Belogorie | host |
| 7 | November 15 | Nova | host |
| 8 | November 22 | Zenit-Kazan | away |
| 9 | November 25 | Dynamo (Moscow) | away |
| 10 | December 1 | Orenburzhie | host |
Lokomotiv starts with an away game against Asparuh Asparuhov's former team - Kuzbass, followed by three home games. At the end of November, a tough series of away games follows against the favorites Zenit-Kazan and Dynamo Moscow. A good start will be key to maintaining their position in the top half of the table.
🧭 Second part of the season – key matches
| Date | Opponent | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| December 21 | Zenit SPb | away |
| January 5 | Kuzbass | host |
| January 9 | Dynamo-Ural | away |
| February 11 | Dynamo (Moscow) | host |
| February 7 | Zenit-Kazan | host |
| March 9 | Zenit SPb | host |
January and February will be the toughest months – a series of derbies that will decide Lokomotiv's place in the playoff top eight. The home crowd in the "Severnaya" hall will play a crucial role.
📊 Performance in the 2024/25 season
| Tournament | Position |
|---|---|
| Russian Super League | 6th place |
| Russian Cup | 🏆 1st place |
| Legends' Cup | 5th place |
Last season was inconsistent in the Super League (6th place), but extremely successful in the cup tournaments. Lokomotiv became the Russian Cup winner, defeating former "Lions" captain Tsvetan Sokolov and his Dynamo Moscow 3:2 (25:19, 19:25, 21:25, 25:21, 16:14) in a tough final in May.
🗣 Meeting of Lokomotiv Novosibirsk with railway management before the start
On October 15, the traditional meeting between the club's management and the Lokomotiv Novosibirsk team took place at the administration of the West Siberian Railway.
Head coach Plamen Konstantinov stated:
We start every season with new motivation. Success in the Russian Cup tournament was the result of hard work. In Kazan, we played at the level of the strongest teams and won consecutively. It was no accident that we believed in this squad. Now we have to achieve the goals set before us today. The most important thing is to be healthy and to remain united from the first to the last moment. Forward to new victories.
The meeting concluded with an official welcome to the team's new additions
— Alexander Markin, Egor Feoktistov, Belgian Sam Deroo, and Bulgarian setter Simeon Nikolov, who received the symbolic Lokomotiv club caps. This tradition sparked a wave of comments on social media, with most being ironically playful regarding Moni's 'service cap' on his head.
📺Where to watch
All matches of the Russian Super League 2025/26 can be followed on the official website of the Russian Volleyball Federation 👉Volley.ru
🎯 In the 'Игры' (Games) section, you will find:
🗓 Calendar and results from all rounds
📊 Statistics and real-time standings
🔴 Links for live video broadcasts, when available
💡 For Lokomotiv Novosibirsk fans – simply select 'Суперлига мужчины' (Men's Super League) from the menu to see the schedule, results, and squad of the team with Bulgarian participation.
Given the squad and stable organization, Lokomotiv Novosibirsk enters the 2025/26 season as a quiet favorite for the medals.
The Bulgarian presence in the form of Konstantinov, Zekov, and Nikolov makes the club particularly interesting for the Bulgarian volleyball audience – with the potential to be among the leading teams in Russia.
photos:lokovolley.comandvolley.ru
